Michael Anthony Zerwas ’75
Michael Anthony Zerwas ’75 died from hypothermia in January 2010, in his backyard in Portland. The circumstances of his death were as mysterious as they were tragic. His body was discovered in a pit, which was filled with water, and a pair of green gardening shoes were found nearby. Detectives concluded that the pit, which was five feet wide and 35 feet deep, may have been an old cistern that had been covered and forgotten over time. The cistern's covering of board and dirt collapsed under Mike, and created an inescapable pit. Mike earned a BA from Reed in anthropology and worked as an investigator for the Metropolitan Public Defender in Portland for 20 years. According to his website, Gumshoe (www.mz-pi.com), he had been a private investigator since 2005.
Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2010
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The Lives they Led
Psychotherapist and Illustrator
Lifelong Learner, Teacher, and Community Builder
Working for the Public Good
Prolific Programmer and Transpersonal Psychologist
Visionary and Enthusiast
Tenacious Scholar in an Evolving Field
Physicist, Professor, and Researcher
Never a Follower, Always Charted His Own Path
Builder, Uniter, Mentor
Mother, Baker, Musician
Director of Private Music Instruction at Reed [1988–2010]
Professor of English at Reed [English 1973–78]
Cherished Friend, Daughter, Sister, Cousin, and Niece
French Teacher and Docent
Well-Traveled Economist
Visionary Drummer, Advocate for Tribal Fisheries, and Recognized Authority on Bigfoot
Physician, Neurologist, Teacher, and Advocate
Composer, Arts Administrator, Archivist, and Historian
Award-Winning Musician, Played With Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton, and Woody Shaw
Nurturer of Communities
Educator and Journalist
Professor at Dartmouth College and the University of Toronto
Pioneering Cardiologist, Inventor, and Entrepreneur
Beloved English and Piano Teacher
Transcending the Script
Maven of Orchestration
Documenting Justice and Injustice Alike
Acclaimed Blues Guitar and Piano Player
Committed Musician and Teacher
Loved Working at the Bilingual Crossroads in Technology and Publishing
Leading Economist and Respected Expert on Finance
Pioneer in the Field of Alternative Somatic Therapies
Senior News Producer at Reuters
Advocate For Collaboration, Team Building, and Personal Connection
Immigration Law Attorney
Public Health Lecturer
Big Brain, Big Heart, a Lifetime of Learning
Devoted Her Life to Education and Music
Never a Follower, Always Charted His Own Path
Avid Hiker and Chemist
Accountant and Aquatic Traveler
Discoverer of Radiopolarography and Nobel Prize Winner
Poet of the Page and the Skies
Actress and Humanist
Pioneer of Law Technology
Playwright and Provocateur
Scholar of Chinese Culture and Language
Insightful Critic and Dedicated Poet
Venerated Long-Distance Runner
Master of the Ancient Art of Japanese Carpentry
Longtime Programmer and Adventurous Explorer
Activist and Mystery Enthusiast
Advocate for Trauma Survivors
Acclaimed Anthropologist
Pioneering Physicist
Beloved Husband, Devoted Father, Treasured Grandfather, and Venerated Professor
Broadcaster and Outdoorsman
